With all due respect to your Uncle Jim, who curiously insists on mixing pineapple into his potato salad because "it provides a nice kick," or your Aunt June, she of the proclivity to suck down wine coolers and instigate uncomfortable political discussions, you put together barbecues that rate somewhere below average.

Fine, let's be honest — your barbecue game is a disaster.

The flimsy, economy patio seat cushions you trot out aggravate a pinched nerve in my lower back. Your Pandora stations flat out suck. And I thought I asked for this burger medium-well. Did I not say medium-well? Are you trying intentionally to make me ralph in your downstairs bathroom?

Meanwhile, as you struggle to get it together this summer, there's one seasonal outing in the region we can all look to as a shining beacon: the 7th Annual Roots Picnic in Philadelphia.

Even though our favorite sons in The Roots are still holding it down as the "Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon's" house band, these intrepid hip-hoppers have never lost their touch, routinely hosting this kick-off, all-day jam to help transition to the summer state-of-mind.

Starting at 1 p.m. on the Festival Pier at Penn's Landing, you can catch an all-star consortium of local, national and international music trendsetters, including Tha Doggfather himself, Snoop Dogg; the exuberant, highly-energized funk neo-soul artist Janelle Monae; promising up-and-comers like Action Bronson, Rudimental and the Bad Rabbits, and much more.

It's the barbecue to end all barbecues.

Down the rabbit hole

For the Boston five-piece Bad Rabbits, there's never been a better time than the present to be peddling hip, interesting funk rock fusion. Lead singer Fredua Boakye riffs on how it feels to be trending up — very up.

I understand you guys formed Bad Rabbits while in school together in Boston. How did that environment shape your direction as a band?

Being in a college atmosphere really developed us as musicians because back then we were listening to so many different styles of music. At that time, Boston was still a little stuck: the indie rockers hung out with the other indie rockers, the punks hung out with the other punks. Now it's more mixed together, and I think we had something to do with that. Our band was integrating all different kinds of styles and sounds. Now when we go back to Boston, you'll see just about everyone in the audience at our shows.

Was it gratifying to record your full-length album, "American Love," after releasing a couple of EPs?

It was very rewarding to us as artists. "American Love" deals with the trials, tribulations, joys and sadness of love. There are a lot of themes on the album that people can relate to — stuff for guys dealing with love and for girls dealing with love. My producer collaborator (B. Lewis) and I are tortured love souls — our hearts have been tossed around by women. We were able to get that on paper for "American Love" and give people a sense of what we were feeling.

What's it like sharing a stage with so many talented and accomplished musicians at the Roots Picnic? Do you almost find yourself slipping into fan mode and taking everything in?

I gotta take a step back and not fan out too much. I've had moments where I'll open up for an artist and I go crazy. I get so excited. For the Picnic, I have to scale that back — I'm a grown man, after all. It's very surreal though because I've always wanted to be at a festival like this. Our band feels like we really deserve this. Every artist at the lineup is a total beast. They're all just amazing at what they do and I'm going to love watching them all. This is something to write home about and tell my kids later on in life.

What are some of the biggest differences between playing a smaller venue, like a club, as opposed to an outdoor festival, like the Picnic?

We try to make it as energetic as possible, regardless of whether we're playing in front of five people or 5,000 people. We always try to bring a high level of intensity to our shows. For smaller performances, I try to get in the face of the crowd a little more, whereas with a big show I'm more concerned with getting their attention and holding it the whole time. Most importantly, we're always having fun and laughing at each other, messing with each other. I'll talk in between songs, or if I have a break I'll go over and make a joke just to keep things light. For us, we have to make it fun and comical, otherwise we can get swept up in the moment.

You guys returned from an overseas tour. What was it like playing to international crowds?

Honestly, I feel like the international crowd is more receptive to our music. There's something special about going overseas and playing in England. America is so big that word doesn't get around very fast, but in England everyone catches on right away. The kids are so responsive and they really enjoy the music. I had no idea they were going to be so into it, which makes it a lot of fun. When we played in London, we sold out. Towards the end of the show there were so many kids screaming and dancing around that I couldn't help it — I had to get into the crowd. I had to try and feed off the energy they were giving me.

What's the band's relationship to Philadelphia?

We have a big fan base in Philly. It always surprises me because they all know our songs and they sing everything back to me. It's like a second home for us. I mean, this city at one point was the epicenter for soul and neo-soul. When that explosion happened, most of the talented cats were coming out of Philadelphia. This city draws people in to play here and also brings out some really great talent.

If you had one shot to put together your best summer barbecue dish, what would you make?

I like to marinate and then grill salmon. I'm going to be on the road pretty much all summer on the Warped Tour, but when I get back my girl and I are gonna be out there grilling. I'll be grilling until the snow starts falling in the winter.

Home grown

Philadelphia's own Chill Moody has found a willing ear by perfecting his honest style and working hard. Moody is a rapper on the cusp, poised to bring his music to the next level, and hopes his second appearance at the Roots Picnic will serve as a momentum builder.

What does the opportunity to play the Picnic mean to you as a young artist? Will you be nervous leading up to the event, or excited and ready to capitalize?

Getting the opportunity to perform on one of the biggest stages provided in this city means everything to me. It's even more special because this is my second time performing at the Roots Picnic. A lot of people don't even get to rock once — twice is unprecedented. I'm really just ready to show why I've been given this shot.

Now that summer is starting to settle in, it seems like concerts and festivals really start to ramp up. What seems to be the difference between a winter crowd and a summer crowd? Does it feel like there's more energy in the audience? Are people just generally ready to party and let loose this time of year?

The energy of an outdoor summer festival crowd is unmatched. Indoor winter crowds are often times more intimate, which gives me a chance to tell more of my story, talk and connect with fans. I like them both equally, but I'm hoping to do more festivals in the future.

Philly has always been a source for hip-hop artists. What do you think makes this city such a good launching pad?

Our fans don't take any bull. From the sports to the music, if you aren't representing the city correctly, the fans are going to let you know. I think it toughens you up as an artist, makes you want to sharpen your craft even more. Plus with all the talent the city has presented past and present, you have to go above and beyond to stand out.

With most professions, people have key goals or objectives they work toward on a daily basis. Can the same be said for a musician? Are there certain things you're trying to do every time you get on stage? Do you have goals - get the crowd into it, try something different to challenge yourself?

I just try to give the crowd as much of my personality as I can while I'm on stage. I want them to like the music but also like me as a person. They should feel like they can relate to me.

The music industry is so weird now — you can put out a record and not sell huge numbers, but at the same time have a massive social media presence and push a ton of merch at shows. How do you determine if you're successful as an artist in 2014?

I just set small goals and collect a bunch of small successes. I feel like that keeps me in a 'successful' state of mind. Something simple like looking out in the crowd and see returning fans from previous shows — I feel like that's a success to me.

If you had one shot to put together your best summer barbecue dish, what would you make?

It's all in the sauce. Whatever I make, it would probably include some special Jameson Whiskey-infused BBQ sauce. Maybe some steaks.